Internal-combustion engine



Jan, 3 1923.

R ABELLv INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Fl LED Nov 6 I91 9 2 SHEETS'SHEET I g mp men,

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2 R. ABELLv INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, FIIED Nov 6 1919 realise as, iaaa ROLJLIN ABELL, OF MILTON, MIASSACHUSETTS;

rn'rnniiat-coiunusrlon ENGINE.

Application filedl November 6, 1919. Serial No. 336,155.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, ROLLIN ABELL, a

zenof'the United States, anda resident of Milton, countyof'Norfolk, and; State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in llnternal'-Combustion Engines, of which the followingis a full,"clear, concise, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the invention relates to make and use the same, reference being made therein to the accompanying'drawings, which form a art ofthis specification.

yinvention relates to internal combuse tion engines, and particularly to the conspructio n and arrangement of the valves and e ements associated therewith for controlling the supply of combustible mixture to the cylinder ofthe engine, and the exhaust therefrom of the gases resulting from the burn ing of the combustion mixture within the en ine cylinder. I

More specifically stated, my invention relates to internal combustion engines of the four stroke single poppet valve-type wherein the combustible mixture flows into and the burned gases flow from the cylinder through a single port controlled by a single 1,311,200, July 29, 1919. 1

The object of my inventlon isto reduce'to' as great an-extent as possible the waste ofv *bodiment of my invention is illustrated: Figures 1, 2, 3 and t are sectional views positively. openedpoppet valve, and in which a distributin valve is provided for directing the inflowmg combustible mixture from the usual inlet or supply conduit toward the port aforesaid and for directing the outflo wing exhaust gases from said port into the exhaust conduit of the engine; such, for example, as is shown in my United States Patent for internal" combustion engine,No.

combustible mixture heretofore met with in internal combustion engines of the four stroke single poppet valve type above referred to. Thus in the'present form ofsfour cycle single; poppet valve engines there is ordinarily apassage or chamber of considertill able volume between the distributing valve and'the combined inlet and outlet port which is closed by the poppet valve, and WhlChpa Sfl; sage or chamber is left full of combustible."

mixture atthe termination of the Silc stroke. Afterward and when the saidgpo'rt, is placed in communication with the exhaust -.j passage or conduit by the distributing valve, 7 and when the poppet valve is opened, the- ,bu-rned gases flowing from the cylinder will;

the burned push the combustible mixture present'inthe chamber referred to out from said passage tude as to result in serious loss of elliciency even in engines designed with special refer, ence to reducing the volume of such common passage as much as possible,

As stated the principal objectof my in vention is to reduce the loss of efliciency due tothe wasting of combustible -mixture trapped the commonsupply and discharge" passage immediately beyond the single valve past which both the inflow and outflow of the gases in question takes place in en ines of the type referred to and a further 0 ject of. my invention is to provide improved valve mechanism for use with internal combustion engines of the four. cyclesingle pop pet valve type for controlling the flow of combustible mixture to and the exhaust. of gases from the cylinderof the enlne.

' ith the above and other objects'of invention in view, myinvention consists in the improvements in and relating to internal combustion engines illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and claimed and in such variations and modifications thereof, within the scope ofthe concluding claims, as will be obviousj to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates."

In the drawings wherein the preferred em showing the upper end of the cylinder, and the valve mechanismo f an internal combustion engine in which my invention is present, the several views showing the positions of the various parts corresponding with the four principal phases of the cycle of operation of the, engine. y 5

Figure 5 is a view in-section for the most part, and in whichthe engine is shown in side elevation. Figure 6 is a view employed to illustrate the o eration of my invention.

Re erring now to the drawings, the reference numerals 10 designate the cylinders of Mill a multiple cylinder internal combustion enginef-the number of which varies in different engines, four cylinders arranged side by side and the pistons 11 of which act to drive a single crank shaft 12 being present in the embodiment of my invention illustrated. The upper ends of said cylinders are closed by a single head 13, although a separate head may obviously be provided for each cylinder; and valve mechanism is provided for each cylinder which valve mechanisms are all alike, so that the valve mecnanism for one cylinder only need be and will hereinafter be described in detail.

A valve chamber 14 is associated with each engine cylinder and into which a combustible mixture supply passage or conduit 15 leads and through which passage combustible mixture is supplied from a suitable carbureter or equivalent charge forming device not shown, While an exhaust conduit or passage 16 leads fromthe valve chamber 14 to the external air. The valve chamber of each cylinder is placed in communication with the interior thereof through a port 17, which is connected by or through a passage or conduit 18 with the valve chamber 14; the said passage or chamber being extremely short and in substance a part of the port in the embodiment, of my invention illustrated. Heretofore, however, this passage has often been of considerable length in internal combustion engines of the single poppet valve type and has formed a pocket or chamber often of considerable volume; and within which combustible mixture is trapped between the distributing valve and the poppet valve each cycle of operation of the engine, which mixture has heretofore been vcarried into the exhaust passage upon the exhaust phase of the cycle and wasted.

Located within the valve chamber is a retating distributing valve 19 having a recess or chamber 20 adapted as the valve is rotated, at half the speed of the crank shaft as is usual in engines of the type illustrated, to alternately establish a communication be tween the inlet passage 15 and the common passage 18 and port 17, and between said port and passage and the exhaust passage 16, to thereby provide for the flow of combustible mixture into and of burned gases out from the cylinder through the single port 17.

Th port 17 is itself controlled by a single reciprocating valve 21 which is most usually of the poppet-type, and whichvalveis oper ated by a cam 22 upon a cam shaft 23 which is driven in any way at half the speed of the crank shaft of the engine. The form of the cam is such that the valve 21 is kept open upon the exhaust and suction or intake strokes of the piston within the cylinder for which the valve in question is provided, and closed upon the compression and Working free end of which opcratively engages the end of the stem 25 of the valve in the form of my invention illustrated; although my invention is in no way dependent upon the particular means employed for operating the poppet valve, and any suitable mechanism may be employed without departing from my invention.

The inlet passages 15 of all the cylinders communicate with and derive their supply of combustible mixture from a single longitudinally extending passage 26 within the head 13, and from a manifold 27 which communicate with a suitable carburetor and discharges into said passage; while all the exhaust passages 16 discharge into a single exhaust manifold 28, as is usual in multiple cylinder internal combustion engines.

Leading into the valve chamber 1 1 from the external atmosphere is a passage 25) so arranged as to register with the pocket or chamber 20 in the rotating distributing valve and the position of which relative to the ports and passages through which the combustion mixture and exhaust gas flow, and the design of the parts generally, is such that the said inlet passage begins to open by the movement of the forward edge 30 of the distributing valve past the said opcning slightly before the rear edge 31 of the said valve contacts with the bridge 32 which separates the inlet passage 15 from the common passage 18; so that there will be a short time during which the passage 18 will be in communication with the inlet passage 15 through the chamber 20 of the distributing valve while the inlet passage 29 is also in communication with the said chamber 20, and a much longer interval (luri11g whicl1 the passage 18 is cut off by the passing of the edge 31 past the bridge 32, and during which a communication is maintained from the external atmosphere through the passage 29, the chamber 20 and the combustible mixture inlet passage 15, and into the common supply conduit 26 and manifold 27 whereby all the cylinders are supplied with combustible mixture.

The purpose of the air inlet passage 29 so arranged as to discharge into the valve chamber or pocket 20 when the said chamber is in conmulnication with the combustible mixture inlet passage 15, but is cut oil from the common passage 18 and the exhaust passage 16, is to permit air to be drawn through the passage or conduit thus established, because of the suction effector reduction of pressure always present in the common supply passage 26 and in the inlet manifold; thus sweeping the combustible mixture out of the said pocket or chamber 20 and; back into the: mixture sup-ply passage, and leaving air only in the valve pocket to be d scharged therefrom ahead of the exhaust gas when a communication is established between the common passage 18 and the exhaust passage 16, and the poppet 21 is opened.

, The arrangement above referred to whereby the common passage 18 is placed in com munication with the inlet passage 15 for a short time at the beginning of the scavenging process provided'for in my invention is arefinement of less importance in a construction wherein the volume of the said common passage is small, as in the engine herein, than in an engine wherein *the amount of combustible mixture, and in fact a quantity closely approaching none" at all when the parts are properly designed, to be swept out with the exhaust gas during the exhaust phase of the cycle of operation of the engine and wasted. r

It will be appreciated, however,-that the loss of combustible mixture will be extremely slight even if provision is not made for the withdrawal of such combustible mixture as is trapped in the'common passage 18 as hereinbefore explained; as the form of the poppet valve 21 and the location of thedistributing valve is such that the volume of said passage is reduced to a minimum, and the gas trapped within the passage 20 of the distributing 'valve is entirely removed during the comparatively long time that said passage remains in communication with the combustible mixture inlet passage 15 and with the air inlet passage 29.

Figurel shows the parts in the positions which they occupyat the beginning of the suction or intake stroke of the cycle of op:-

' eration of the engine, the single valve 21 being open and the distributing valve 19 being just about to open up a communication between the inlet passage 15 and the port 17 with which the valve 21 cooperates.

The valve 19 which has been open during the preceding exhaust stroke remains open during the first down or suction stroke of the cycle, at the end of-whi ch the parts assume the position shown in Figure 2 with; the poppet valve in the phase of closing .upon its seat and the distributing valve shutting off communication between the in let passage and the port 17 and common passage 18.

iaaai io eduivalent passage is of large volume." The result obtained or effect of such an arrange The valve 21 remains closed during second, or compression stroke of the cycle,

and also during the third or working stroke;

during which strokes the parts assume the positions shown in Figure 3 at the end of the compression stroke, and the positions shown in Figure 4 at the end of the working stroke. i I v The distributing valve 19 opens communication with the exhaust passage 16 and the valve 21 opens somewhat before the end of the third or working stroke of the cycle, as shownin Figure 4, as is usual in internal combustion engines and the poppet valve remains open during the fourth or exhaust stroke and the suction stroke of cycle, as will be appreciated.

, The design, proportion, and port arrangement of the elements which constitute my invention is such that the exhaust phase of the cycle commences somewhat before the end of the working stroke, and such that the fuel supplypassage remains open after the end of the suction stroke, in order to secure a -more complete evacuation of the burned gases and a more complete filling of the the next cylinder prior to the compression stroke, in

accordance with common and approved practice in internal combustion engine design,

Shortly after the closing of the valve 21 following the suction stroke the advancing edge 30 of the distributing valve 19 passes the air inlet opening 29, as shown'in Figure 6, thus establishing an open'passage or communication between the external atmosphere and the inlet passage 15 and longitudinal passage 26, and the interior of the manifold 27, and, inasmuch as there is always a reduced pressure within the manifold and the mixture inlet passage, the establishment of the communication aforesaid will be followed by a flow of air inward through the port or opening '29; which will result in the sweeping of the combustible mixture trapped within the passage or pocket 20 of the distributing valve,back into the inlet passage and inlet manifold after the end of the fuel supply phase of the cycle; thus leaving air only in the said pocket orrecess to be pushed ahead of the outflowing exhaust gas when the distributing valve shall have moved into the position shown in Figure 4, and upon the opening of the vpoppet valve 21. i

As above explained'the arrangement of the parts is preferably such that the common passage 18 remains in communication with v result of this feature is that combustible mixture trapped within the passage 'made up of the recess 20.and the common passage 18' is w thdrawn from said common passage,

as Well as from the pocket in the distributing valve. This, however, is a feature of less importance in cases where the volume of the common passage is reduced to an extremely small amount, as in the engine here-- 1n disclosed, than it is in engines wherein" the volume of the common passage s large as has heretofore often been the case.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire to'secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an internal combustion engine of the class described having a cylinder, a piston operating therein,'a valve chamber, a

' combustible mixture inlet passage leading into-said chamber,' an exhaust passage leading from sald chamber, anda port through which a commumcation is established between said chamber and theinterior of the adapted to alternately establish a communi- Y cation between said inlet passage and said port, and between said exhaust passage and said port;and an air inlet passage in said valve chamber and leading into the chamber in said-distributing valve, and which inlet passage is so arranged as to communicate with said chamber at a time when said chamber is in communication with the combustible mixture inlet passage aforesaid.

2. In an internal combustion engine of the class described having a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a valve chamber, a combustible mixture inlet passage leading into said chamber, an exhaust passage leading from said chamber, and a port through whicha communication is established between said chamber and the interior of the engine cylinder; a reciprocating valve for controlling said port, and the form of which valve above its seating surface is such that it substantially fills said port when the valve is closed; a rotating distributing valve located within the valve chamber aforesaid and having a chamber adapted to alternately establish a communication between said inlet passage and said port, and between said exhaust passage and said port; and an air-inlet passage leading from the external atmosphere into said valve chamber,'the arrangement of the elements aforesaid being such that a flow of air may occur from the external atmosphere through said air inlet passage and. through the chamber in said distributing valve, and into the said combustible mixture inlet passage.

- ,In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROLLIN ABELL. 

